66 66 66 66 city never forfook her, and was always pleafing. No "heart was ever more tender, or more generous, or more uniformly alive to all the delicacies of conju. gal affection, than her's. Yet, what with the extreme fenfibility of her nature, the fuperfluity in which she "was bred, and her peculiar fondness for every fpecies offafhionable gaietyand diffipation, her habit of fquandering was unconquerable and unbounded. She always had what money fhe wanted, and spent it as "the pleafed. For my heart never permitted me to "lay her under the least restraint. Her extravagance, "however romantic and diftreffing, arose from princi"ples originally good, but ill directed. Nor could I "retrench her expence, without occafioning fuch a "fhock, as might have injured her health. The mo"ment I was involved, I ftretched every point to keep "it from her knowledge. I had ftill great expecta tions from her father, in whofe hands the whole re"fidue of my property was now lodged. My fitua"tion foon became too critical to be much longer con"cealed. But, in one fatal day, he failed, and I was "at once arrested, and ftript of every thing. My poor wife never left me, and never recovered our misforOften did these walls, and these wretches, "witnefs her lamentations. At laft fhe grew quite frantic, and expired in my arms, muttering, with her laft breath, curfes on a conduct that had ruined me." That economy, which this anecdote points out, is, in fact, one of the beft, and moft neceffary leffons that can be taught. With a little feasonable care and at "tune. tention tention of this kind, what a world of misfortune and misery might often be prevented! For the giddiness fə frequently and haftily cenfured in the fex, is not a natural but an adventitious quality, the obvious confequence of an unprincipled education. ADVICE TO MOTHERS. AN UNHAPPY FEMALE RELIEVED FROM MOTIVES OF COMPASSION. THE FRIEND. Ab! little think the gay, licentious proud, How many pine in want and dungeon-glooms, Of their own limbs. How many dink the cup Of mifery! THOMSON. It is but feldom that perfons, who enjoy the advantages of health, affluence, and liberty, choose to meditate upon the unhappy condition of those who, by a variety of caufes, have been deprived of these inestimable bleffings were they fometimes to look about them, and fee the numerous ills to which the human fpecies are expofed, fure the time thus fpent would not be ill employed. Would not the comparison they would naturally draw between the fituation of the miserable and themselves, be a means of encreafing their own happinefs? As a man paffing a dungeon, immediately feels his heart glow with an unufual warmth at the thought which inftantly ftrikes him of his being at liberty: fo he that fees a fellow-creature finking under the weight of fome mortal disease, felicitates himself in the poffeffion of found health, and never knows the value of it fo completely as at that moment: and the rich man is taught the worth of riches, by the fight of thofe miferies that attend poverty. There is another reafon likewise why the Friend of mankind would recommend a little reflection on the calamities incident to the species: many of them may be removed by the afiftance of the charitable: the pleasure arifing from the relief of diftrefs is infinitely beyond the moft exalted gratifications of fenfe: it is, without doubt, the greatest human nature is capable of enjoying, and can be compared to pothing but a foretaste of those joys which are to be the reward of virtue in the realms of blifs. I have been led into these reflections by a scene of diftrefs that I was lately a witness to, and which I intend to make the fubject of this effay, in hope that it may be a means of procuring relief to fome of the many unhappy creatures who experience the fame dreadful misfortunes. Walking fome nights ago through a by-lane, in a remote part of the town, my curiofity was ftrongly excited by some discourse I heard between two women in a • She little shop: one of them, who stood behind the counter, exclaimed rather vehemently, I am forry for her " with all my heart; but I cannot afford to give her lodging and food for nothing; and I am refolved fhe fhall leave my houfe this very night.' The other mildly answered, And where will the go, poor foul! • She will certainly expire in the street, if you turn her ⚫ out in fuch a condition.' I cannot help it,' replied the first woman: "" Charity begins at home." owes me already for fix weeks board and lodging.' This fhort difcourfe was fufficient to fatisfy me, that some miserable object in great difrefs must be the subject of their conversation; and that now was the time for compaffion to hold forth her affifting hand to comfort the unhappy. Stepping therefore into the shop, "Where is the unfortunate wretch,' faid I, that you ' are talking of? Perhaps fome method may be found to prevent your cruel intention of turning her into the • ftreet.' · Yes, good Sir,' faid the woman: a little • of that money which, by your appearance, you must ⚫ have plenty of, would have that effect; and your Honour can't have a better opportunity of beftowing "your charity.' The woman conducted, and I followed her up a rotten ftair-case, to one of the meanest garrets I ever was in. There, Sir,' (faid fhe, pointing to a miferable bed in one corner of it) lies the poor creature you defire to fee.' I approached; but, good God! how fhall I exprefs my furprize, at feeing the wretchedness of the object I had before me! a lovely young woman, in the prime of youth, expiring un 6. F 4 der der a diforder of the moft fhocking kind. Difeafe had eaten her up; and death seemed, at this moment, to be performing his laft kind office. Her eyes were closed, her features fixed; and, only for fome convulfive motions, I fhould have thought her already dead: her face had ftill evident remains of the most perfect beauty, though emaciated to a great degree: her perfon was fo poorly covered by the ragged bed cloaths, that it was eafily to be feen fhe had been uncommonly lovely. Never did the power of compaffion operate more strongly on my mind, than at that inftant. I broke out into complaints, as if I had been myfelf the afflicted; and almost arraigned the justice of heaven, for punishing, in fo fevere a manner, any faults this poor unhappy creature might have committed. Pity had taken fuch poffeffion of my foul, I forgot, for fome moments, that now was the only time to try if human affiftance would avail her any thing: for, in all probability, a delay but of a fhort space would be fatal. That no time might be loft, I ran myfelf for a furgeon, while the woman of the houfe haftened to get fome cordial, which I directed fhould be given her inftantly, if it could be procured; apprehending that want of the neceffaries of life had done more towards reducing her to this miserable condition, than even her diforder. In a few minutes I returned with the furgeon; who affured me there was not the leaft danger, now that she had affiftance. This was balm to my heart, and gave me the fincereft joy I ever felt. After having caufed her to fwallow a little, I ordered |